Over 60 artists are considering creating an equestrian statue for Brno

Brno - More than 60 artists are contemplating what an equestrian statue for Brno should look like. Sixty creators have picked up the conditions for the competition for the statue of Margrave Jošt of Luxembourg at the Brno City Hall. It is intended to adorn Moravské náměstí. According to the head of the Department of Culture, Martin Reissner, it is hard to estimate how many artists will ultimately submit a design. Typically, about two-thirds do, but this competition is extraordinary, Reissner told ČTK.
    "This is the largest sculptural project being realized in post-revolutionary Brno. It is an exceptionally challenging task. The statue needs to be integrated into the space of the square, and moreover, an equestrian statue is a type that is not commonly used," said Reissner. He believes that the number of equestrian statues created in the last 20 years in Europe could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
    The difficulty of the competition is also reflected in the rewards. If the jury awards the first prize, the recipient will receive a half-million crown honorarium. The second and third places will receive 100,000 crowns less each. No one at the City Hall dares to estimate what kind of designs the artists will come up with. According to the competition guidelines, the work should evoke Jošt of Luxembourg (1351 to 1411) as the King of the Romans and Margrave of Moravia. An equestrian statue is preferred. "The form of the artistic representation and the materials used depend on the creator," said Reissner.
    In recent years, the Brno City Hall has been trying to diversify the city with sculptures. Since last year, the Green Market has been adorned with a statue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart by Kurt Gebauer, and a work commemorating Thomas Alva Edison is soon to appear near the Mahen Theatre. There are supposed to be ten sculptures from the series Sculptures for Brno, and resistance fighters are also seeking to place a statue of Czechoslovak President Edvard Beneš near the Faculty of Law.
    Brno also hosted the first edition of the festival "Sculptures in the Streets" last year. The square, buildings, and streets were temporarily adorned by artists with 26 installations. According to a poll by the City Hall, the most favored was the Little Martian by sculptor Jaroslav Róna. This year, the event will take place again.